Let’s review what we’ve covered this week

We hope you have enjoyed Week 1 of our course - let’s review what we’ve covered.

Firstly, we have introduced the course - robotics with a cybernetics focus. Here we use feedback for control, feedback for learning and feedback for interaction - the details of which we will cover in subsequent weeks.

Secondly, we have introduced robots - looking at definitions of robots, and seen the variety of robotic devices - not just physical devices.

We have also considered the history of robots - from water clocks through to intricate mechanical devices such as Leonardo’s lion. In more modern times, we have seen industrial robots and also mobile robots. We have also looked at robotics viewed in books, film and TV.

We have discussed different applications of robots and looked at some research ideas.

We have introduced some of the robots here at the University of Reading, including some of the mobile robots which feature in the course.

Then we have set you the first two exercises, which are similar to those you will meet in subsequent weeks, where you determine how you can make a robot move around. In these exercises you have worked out what the speeds should be for the robot to move forward/back or turn left/right/ In later weeks you will set speeds on the basis of what the robot detects with its sensors.

Next week we will build on this, by looking at the anatomy of a robot - considering the sensors it needs to perceive its surroundings, the actuators which allow it to do something, its brain which is used to coordinate these, and its power supply.